Ong Kim Swee to replace Scott O’Donell as FAM technical director

KUALA LUMPUR — Datuk Ong Kim Swee is set to return as the Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) technical director after Scott O’Donell’s departure at the end of his contract in December. Kim Swee, who is currently in Baku, Azerbaijan, to attend the FIFA Under-15 World Cup and Festival 2026, confirmed with Scoop his re-appointment to the position he previously held before leaving FAM in 2022. The 55-year-old said his return would give him an opportunity to build on the work already undertaken by the association, particularly in strengthening the country’s football development structure and ensuring that existing initiatives continue to progress. “After leaving FAM in 2022, I had the opportunity to coach Sabah FC and subsequently take charge of a club in Indonesia before returning to Malaysia to lead the National Football Development Programme (NFDP). “Now, I have once again been entrusted with the responsibility of serving as FAM’s technical director. I see this as a valuable opportunity to contribute further to the development of Malaysian football and help strengthen the structure that we already have in place. “We cannot afford to stand still. We need to continue moving forward and ensure that the programmes introduced previously are developed further to produce better results for the future of Malaysian football,” he said. Kim Swee acknowledged the contributions of O’Donell, whose contract expires in December, saying the priority now was to maintain the momentum of the initiatives introduced under the outgoing technical director. “Scott has done a good job during his time with FAM, particularly through the introduction of the National Youth League and several other development programmes. “These are important initiatives for the growth of our football, and we should not allow the progress made to go to waste. Instead, we need to continue what has been started, strengthen the existing programmes and identify areas where further improvements can be made,” he added. Kim Swee, who recently met FIFA chief of global football development Arsene Wenger in Baku, said his return would also allow him to focus on coordinating the development pathways for the national Under-19 (U-19) and Under-20 (U-20) teams. He stressed that the scope of his responsibilities would extend beyond grassroots football, with the development of the women’s game and the national futsal team also requiring greater attention. “Our focus cannot be limited to grassroots football alone. While developing young players is essential, we must also look at how we can improve the overall structure of the game, including the women’s national teams and futsal. “All these areas deserve serious attention because football development must be approached comprehensively. We need to ensure that the different programmes work towards a common objective rather than operate in isolation,” he said. Kim Swee added that he was looking forward to taking on the challenge again, expressing his hope that his experience across club football, national team coaching and youth development would enable him to make a meaningful contribution to the sport. “It is a big responsibility, and I understand the challenges that come with the role. Nevertheless, I hope to contribute my experience and knowledge wherever possible, working together with the relevant parties to improve the game. “Ultimately, the objective is to help Malaysian football progress at every level, from grassroots development to the national teams, while ensuring that the programmes we implement today can benefit the next generation of players,” he said. - October 26, 2026 The post Ong Kim Swee to replace Scott O’Donell as FAM technical director appeared first on Scoop .